New year resolutions...

I was trying to make a list of new year propositions...of course losing weight was among the first ten.
But sometimes it's hard to resist!
I thought I was going to end this year without eating one of my favourite food, "Pettole"...when my uncle knocked at my door seconds ago with this:



So happy!
We usually eat them on 7 december, the Immaculate Conception's Eve, with a special bread (puccia) filled with fresh tuna or anchovies.
My mom won't cook pettole anymore since one of them has once exploded (literally) while frying and she almost got burned on her face. Thanks auntie!

I haven't been beading since Christmas cause my fingers are hurting a lot, and I don't understand why.
Not that I had much time; I spent these days visiting all my relatives which I only see 3 times a year, organizing tonight's celebration and also trying to think what to do on my birthday...
It's on 2 january, so people are still tired of eating and drinking from the day before, and the day before that, and Christmas.
This year I had a party, for the 2nd time in my life I think. It was really, really funny and organized at the very last minute.
Next year...we'll see.

Ready for Xmas???

Not really.I'm still beading presents!!!
I made this



and this



for my own Christmas necklace, not sure if I'll make the other pendants on time...

So now I really need to keep my hand busy and finish everything before midnight!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!

First present

This morning I received my first Christmas present:



from my Japanese friend, who sent it almost a month ago.
I'm so happy!
It's full of tricks and how-to's, so I can't wait to try some recipe!
I'm especially in love with these edible Christmas trees which i found here:







Aren't they cute?!!

Santa Claus super-star!

I've been looking for nice Santa Claus beaded dolls but didn't like any of them really much.
I wanted something different.
So I decided to make it from something I know very well how to do: a star.
The result by now is this:



I keep making mistakes...hope next one will be perfect!
I drew my own peyote charts and I am very proud of the result!

New necklace

My mon just got on a train back home and I'm alone sipping a cup of tea and watching Mad men.
We had 10 days of fun and, surprisingly, NO shopping. We've been around Padua and Venice getting as much fresh air as we could.
I didn't have much time to bead and spent it mostly adjusting a pattern I made for a beaded Santa Claus, but I finally ended this necklace



The pendant is a fake coral cab and I kept it really simple 'cause I just love these colours together



The back is only silver, so you can choose how to wear it if you don't like turquoise too much

December challenge...time to vote!

This month's challenge theme is great: "Simon and Garfunkel The Songs of Inspiration".
Just because it's about music and inspiration we get from it, I love it!
Unfortunately my long vacation prevented me to participate this month, but I've already voted!
So please stop by and choose your favorite on Etsy beadweavers blog, the mosaic is ready and amazing:



Vote, vote, vote!

Back from Madrid

I got back from my 2 weeks vacation in Madrid last friday.
What can I say...I'm not sure what to feel after I saw so many things, places and eaten so many wonderful dishes!
I have hundreds of pics but I'm sure you could see most of them on google, so I'll just show you the weirdest.
I've spent the first weekend with my best friend Silvia (yeah, 2 Silvias, and our parents have the same names too!!!) and we couldn't miss the chance to have this vintage photograph



This lady was a real stylist, she's awesome! The picture seems to be from the 20's and now I need a proper frame for it.

I also made some strange encounter...



I ate so much I gained 3 kg in 2 weeks, which is terrible right before Xmas!
This is one of the many tapas we had in a wonderful place which I highly recommend - Lateral, in Plaza Sant Ana



It's a potato filled with mashed potato, cheese and ham, with a fried quail egg on top.
It was delicious! Need not to say everybody was looking at our table...
I also fell in love with the Lomo iberico. The most delicious ham in the world



On my 2nd weekend there they finished building the Xmas tree in Plaza del Sol and lighted it



It was great, you could get inside and have pictures - I made like 10 pics, I think it was beautiful



Can be a nice inspiration for some beaded project!

I used the weekends to visit 2 beautiful cities near Madrid, Toledo and Segovia.
Toledo has beautiful buildings and great surroundings



Segovia is famous for its huge roman aqueduct. Never seen such a big one either in Italy



not to mention the breathtaking cathedral and the Alcazar, the castle, seemed like Cinderella was going to come out of it!

Now I'm waiting for my Mom to come tomorrow morning and I think we'll have a trip to Venice if the weather is good.
And really have no idea when to bead!!!!!!!

Black heart

I finally got the chance to finish this necklace





just in time, since tomorrow I'm leaving for 2 weeks for Madrid!

I love black Swarovsky, and the way they mix together with silver beads



I don't know how I'll manage not to bead for 14 days, I can't bring anything along but I'm sure I'll find something to do ^_^
Museo Nacional del Prado, I'm coming!!!

Fuchsia

I love fuchsia. It's bright, cheerful and feminine. Or maybe girly..that's why I love it. When I wear something fuchsia I feel happy.
Unfortunately this colour seems odd matched with my red hair, so I only wear it when i go back to brown.
Some time ago I made this embroidery cuff



It was my first attempt with bead embroidery.
Now I've just finished this necklace



It's a netted base with the same technique of the famous "Capricho" cuff



Using round transparent beads instead of Svarovski doesn't make it less shiny at all



I wasn't able to take a proper picture this morning, the light was a bit strange so it seems purple rather than fuchsia...will try tomorrow.
It was pretty funny to make so I think I will try it in more colours!

Tartan time!

I've always loved tartan. Maybe it's the little punk hidden inside of me?!
Especially on Christmas time, I can't help but thinking about red, checked fabrics, so I had to make this:



These items are really amazing, have a look at their shops on Etsy!

And then maybe you can just jump to Etsy Beadweavers blog and vote for your favorite entry in our November Challenge "Holiday Treasures" - voting November 9-15!

Beaded bows

Lately I'm having a lot of fun beading these bows:



I love tartan, especially red, so i couldn't resist



Easy, fast and the result is sooo nice, I also made smaller ones



which will become brooches.
Now it's time to bead a little Santa Claus hat.
Every year I have a different one: a felted, very (very!) long one 2 years ago, a small crocheted hairpin last year, I'm sure this year everyone is waiting to see what I'll have on my head!

G n' R cameo!

Maybe some of you noticed I love Guns n' Roses. (LOL)
Some time ago I saw these wonderful cameos on Cathysjewels shop, on Etsy. I put them in my favorite list until I finally got them!
So today, after a slightly longer journey (due to the "great" Italian Postal service" I had to got them sent to my cousin in Austria not to have them stuck in the custom) they finally arrived!!!



This pic is ugly, sorry, but my camera had low battery and I really wanted to send a pic to my BF.
I think I will use 2 of them to make cufflinks for him for his birthday-it was a week ago.
What do you think???
The others will become simple pendants and an embroidery bracelet/necklace which I'm trying to draw right now!
Thanks Cathysjewels!

EBW November challenge: Holiday Treasures

What's more precious than our loved ones, even if they've passed away?!
That's what I thought when I read the EBW November challenge theme.
We had to "Choose your favorite late fall or winter holiday and create a beadweaving to celebrate the occasion...Let your own imagination find the perfect Holiday Treasure!"

I'm Italian, and we have All Souls' Day which is the 2nd November: is a day when everyone goes to the cemetery and pay a visit to their deads bringing flowers.
It's not something I feel very comfortable with...most of the times seems like something due that only old ladies do.
But I love the Mexican Dia de los muertos.
Tha whole family gathers together and build an altar with sugar skulls, flowers, pictures of the departed and all his/her favourite foods, drink and stuff.
I think it's lovely: you celebrate their lives, instead of simply remembering that they're dead.
The day has already passed, but if you're interested here are some very interesting websites where you can find out how to build an altar



how to bake the Pan de muerto



how to make sugar skulls



and some amazing pics on Flickr from loupiote and magus523 which really inspired my work...here it is:





Please visit our EBW team blog, www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com (http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com) between the 9th and 15th of November and vote for your favorite entry!

Christmas is all around us

Well, it's about time!!! November has just begun, but Christmas is already in the air everywhere.
I've spent the weekend in Wien to visit my newly wedded cousin, the weather was great and the city beautiful as I remembered. They were starting to put Xmas lighting all around the city...must come back next month to see how it looks!
I didn't have enough time to look for some bead shop ^_^ maybe next time!
In the meanwhile you can look at this Poinsettia treasury to start feeling in the right mood for Christmas:

Working table

I've been grounded in my kitchen working since last week and I barely had the time to go out and buy something to eat today.
This is the condition of my working table:



This is where I'm eating, drawing, sipping tea and even beading, whenever I have a break (beads all around my drawings, and EVERYWHERE).
Disgusting, I know.

I'm trying hard to complete my EBW December challenge piece and I hope to make it at the very last moment (sneak peek in the left corner)!
Need to finish my work within tomorrow so I can send a cd...it has to arrive at its destination within tuesday, and monday is bank holiday.
Aaaaaaaaaaargh!
Going to bed (1,40 AM here)!!!!!!

Twinkie Chan's Halloween Blog Giveaway

Have you ever visited Twinkie Chan's blog?
She'S an amazing crocheter/crafter, her cupcake scarves are really famous across the web:





Today you can win a pair of super cute pumpkin/jack-o-lantern fingerless mitts handmade by her, just go to her blog and leave a comment!
Just in time for Halloween!

Andrew Thornton Fund

Many of you already know Andrew Thornton, a fellow beader who is fighting against skin cancer - and unfortunately against hospital bills too.
Many members of the Etsy Beadweavers team are donating some items to help him.
This below is the first of many treasuries with the items donated:



Please stop by and help us even just commenting and sharing!

I'm donating my Vampire heart necklace to this cause



Stay tuned to see all the other treasuries still to come!

Hearts and crochet weekend

I spent the whole week beading: my BFF's birthday is near:



She was a pink addict, but now she's really into purple and lilac, so hope she'll like it.

Also did something for my shop...



and I have a new project going on (sneak peek):



But during the weekend I got the hook back in my hands and started crocheting on the sofa with one of my friends, to whom I had taught crocheting last year duting lunch break:



She's now knitting a baby blanket, while I'm halfway with my new scarf.

Oh, and we have a winner for October EBW challenge, Olga of MadebyOga:



Please visit the EBW blog to discover the runners up!

EBW team October Challenge "Autumn Falling of Leaves"

Do you like autumn?
Cities gets coloured with reds and yellows as the leaves fall down from trees...

This month's EBW challenge theme is "Autumn Falling of Leaves"



I was expecting gret things, but these 59 entries are far beyond any expectation!!!
Please visit the EBW blog and vote your favorite from October 9 to 15. It gets harder every month to choose!

Painting inspiration

If you love paintings but you're tired of the same ol' Picasso and Monet, if you're looking for inspiration and don't know where to find it, give a look at this beautiful blog:



Every day of the week has a different theme and you can find gorgeous paintings of unknown painters mixed with famous ones





Oh, the blog curator is my dad ^_^ we often visit art exhibitions together and take note of the artists we don't know. Too many of them are not on art books, even if they would deserve it.

Hope you'll enjoy it!